There is never an end to eternal hope…Born of desperation, it thrives…And it is sometimes reborn…

When all seems absolute…

"It's been a year since everything has changed. A year since I dawned the persona of a great warrior; a noble heart—my brother, Noah. A year since I've discontinued staving off the threat to the Queen of Dalmasca. A year since I found a new leisure—protecting the young Lord Larsa. And every day within that year I've thought of my brother. I had failed him for the last time, I bargain. And as my eternal punishment, I am meant to pay by living within his order, within his greatness. I vowed to do so, and my accursed honor will not spare me the vow. And yet somehow, around every corner, I believe he is somehow there…peering into my life to see if I continue to protect that which he values the most."

1.

Basch walked hurriedly past the filtered sunlight of the gardens and into Lord Larsa's office. He liked it here. It was peaceful and quiet, full of nature and repose. Here, the world seemed to stop turning on it's unyielding axis. Here is where it was the best time to think, to reason, to live. And here is where Lord Larsa Solider usually carried out his orders. He had grown quite fond of the young lad lately, actually. To see him in battle, to see him work so hard for peace, had won his admiration. As he saw how he ruled, however, it won him Basch's respect as well. As he stood there quietly, waiting for word from his new monarch, he couldn't help but think of that. "Judge Gabranth," he began. "I have an errand for you."

"My lord."

Larsa tapped his lip with his quill pen. "As you know, I have turned over all information in the Draklor lab to a scientist of more…up-and-coming theories. I believe it's high time that you met her. In reality, I want you to investigate as to what she's up to."

"She has not reported?"

"She has, but…" Larsa stood, thoughtfully pacing the garden-room. "Well, it's not that I distrust her, mind you. In fact, I believe her to be a noble heart, and an honest one at that. However, she has had…quite an ordeal within this last year. She was supposed to be designing ways to dispose of the Manufacted Nethicite in a way that will benefit all empires. And peace being so fragile, Queen Ashelia's ceremony soon…" He broke off, turning to the new Gabranth. "I suppose I just want to make sure everything is in order, and this is a loose end that I must tie up before we travel to Dalmasca. Do you understand?"

More errands. He wondered if Gabranth had ever tired of him as much as he did. Of course, it was different under Larsa than many rulers. However, sometimes he yearned for Princess Ashe's firm, more mature hand in rulership. He was more the big brother than the protector. Naturally he saw no need to tame it, whatever. The child had lost all his brothers now. The least he could do was provide a stabilizing influence in his life. He nodded. "As you wish."

"Basch," Larsa said, stopping him. "You best prepare yourself. She is someone of your—familiarity."

"Who?"

He shook his head. "She wouldn't allow me to say. She intends to surprise you. Hopefully it will be a pleasant one."

Basch nodded, putting the stuffy helmet on and leaving quickly. On the long trek through the Arcadian palace he began trying to figure out the puzzle. Of some familiarity? More likely mystery. He knew not of many people, as he had been locked away for two years and harbored a new identity this last year. At first he figured it may be Fran, the Viera that had partnered with Balthier the Sky Pirate. She had always been good with magicks and science and nethicite, in particular. But that seemed hardly logical, as Fran was more of a loner and certainly wouldn't work for the empire. And she even more assuredly wouldn't have left Balthier, if nothing else. It was not Penelo, for she was busy flying about with Vaan on half-witted schemes for Queen Ashe. A few other women ran through his mind—a few Bangaa, mostly human—but he couldn't seem to figure it out. "Surprise, indeed," he grumbled, as he slid the doors open and walked into the lab.

And then there she was. A thousand memories came rushing back all at once as he saw her sitting there, behind her desk.

She looked up and smiled, Her long honey-colored hair falling back from her face. "Well if it isn't Basch Fon Rosenburg." She stood, and began crossing the room to him. Her dress matched her eyes, her sash the color of her skin.

He felt trapped. Part of him wanted to run, and then the other part found his legs were stuck to the titanium beneath him. His breath came a bit more quickly as he took in her cerulean eyes, soft smile, and pale skin. "G…Gabranth…" He finally managed, taking a step back.

"Oh, please. I know you're Basch. Don't worry. No one can hear us talking now." She smiled at him. "You're secret is safe with me."

He paused, noting that he was stalk-still and halfway leaning away from her advance as if she may bite him. "How did you know?"

"Well, when you don't hear from a person you've been friends with your whole lives for about a year, you figure something tragic must have happened to him. Besides," she stopped just in front of him, putting a finger to her cheek. "I bet you look nothing like him."

He relaxed then, thinking for a moment before he took off the helmet. He tucked it under his arm and waited for her to say something.

She giggled. "Just as I thought. Hello, Basch."

He broke into a full grin then, turning slightly crimson from delight. "Nadia!" He found himself falling into a natural embrace, friendly and familiar. "You always were the only one that could tell us apart. By the gods… I thought you were dead!"

"I thought you were dead up until a while ago, as well." The smile never left her face. "The last I saw you was in Landis, going for help towards Dalmasca."

"And the last I saw you, I was shoving you down into a cellar to keep you safe."

"So good to see you!"

He gave her a bow of his head. "You as well."

She paused for a moment, looking right into his eyes. "I can't believe it's true! Well, I don't even know where to begin!"
"How about where you've been these past years?"

"Ah, yes." She stepped away from him, gesturing to the science lab about her. "I've been here; In Archades."

"Naturally. How did you get here? I thought everyone in Landis died."

"Not everyone. They did take a few prisoners. Noah and I were taken here together, actually. They spared him because he was a valiant warrior, I've been told. I don't know why I was spared. Perhaps it was because he begged for my life." She swallowed hard, the smile flickering for a moment before she continued. "Yes. Well, when he found we were going to be taken, he checked the Cellar. His original plan was to get me out of the city before it was destroyed, but the Empire was too quick. So, we lived the rest of the time here together…in Archades. He entered the military, became a Judge, and Doctor Cid offered me a job here as one of his assistants."

Basch tried to filter through the rising guilt inside of himself. Landis was his fault, after all. He must have seemed a coward to run—even if he was running for reinforcements. Fortunately, Noah had been able to keep safe one of the things he remembered the most vividly in Landis: Nadia Emberdé. They grew up together, the three of them. Even in the threat of war, their youth and their occupation with one another always seemed to keep them optimistic. He remembered when a teenager waging many battles with Noah over the glowingly attractive Nadia. But that was in the past. Any memories of Nadia had died along with those of Landis. So many years had passed since he had seen his childhood friend. It had never even crossed his mind that she could be alive somewhere. "And you have thrived."

"I have tried. With Noah by my side it was easier."

"It sounds pleasing to me that you call him Noah."

Her eyes got a distant look for a moment as she swayed self-consciously. "I ought to. I have the right, after all."

He was about to ask her what she meant when the door slid open and a castle servant walked in with a small boy in tow. Basch paid hardly any attention, as he was busy putting his helmet back on. He knew no one would know the difference when they saw him—except, of course, Nadia—but it still felt odd for people to see him in his travesty. The lady was aghast as the boy ran straight to Doctor Emberdé and hugged her about her knees. "I'm sorry, my lady. He couldn't be stopped. He just had to see you."

"That's quite all right," Nadia replied, stroking the boy's hair fondly. "I'm just catching up with….Gabranth."

Everyone looked at him, and he was suddenly the center of attention. The servant smiled warmly with a nod, Nadia looked slightly stricken, and the boy looked up in sheer delight and fascination.

"I'll leave you to it then, milady." She curtsied and left.

As soon as the doors were closed the boy ran up to him and threw his arms about Basch's legs, squeezing him tightly. He could feel it even through his armor. It was then that he got a good look at the child, and something sat hard in his chest. The boy looked up with his eyes, his nose, his mouth….If not for Nadia's color hair and the shape of his chin, he would look exactly as Basch had some twenty-nine years ago. "Daddy!" He called, sticking a finger in his mouth.

---- ----

Balthier glanced at Fran out of the corner of his eye while he spun a newly retrieved gem in his hand cockily. "Not a bad save, I'd wager," he offered, "And not even a scratch on me. I told you I was the leading man."

"You'll never forget, won't you?"

He shrugged, his feet falling off the dash of the Strahl. He examined the jewel more closely. His fingers ran over the smooth edges and skimmed quickly over the corners. Not a bad gift for the Queen of Dalmasca. Of course, he would hardly approve if she knew he had stolen it. Then again, she fairly would suspect, anyway. And what she didn't know would hurt her, either. "Well, it was a bit of an upset, you know. I was busy trying to save your life at the time."

Fran sighed, giving the monitors an overly thorough check. "A gift I'll cherish."

He eyed her again. "You're in my debt, all told."

"Naturally."

"Yes, naturally."

She turned to him with a sharp stare, glazed a bit with anger. They stayed that way to stare each other down until he gave a chuckle and fell back into the seat. "Remember the good old days when we stole without being famous?"

She gave no reply.

"Sometimes I fancy I should be back in Archades, rebuilding what my father destroyed." That old look of disappointing regret came across his face, and he was for once, silent. Sometimes that haunted feeling permeated everything around him. For all everyone preached about not living in the past, Ffamran certainly was used to doing so.

Fran was about to say something consoling when the intercom system came alive and they checked the systems. "Attention, airship Strahl. I suppose you can hear me?"

"And who might you be?" Replied the Sky Pirate, sitting up straight.

"Come on. Don't you recognize my voice? I'm hurt, Balthier. Let's just say I have another handkerchief I'd like to give you."

True delight spread over his features as he reached for the controls. "Penelo! Are you still traveling about with that rogue of a fool pirate?"

"Vaan? Oh…yes."

"And you're still alive?"

The intercom fizzled and he heard a sharp "HEY!" from Penelo as Vaan apparently grabbed it from her. "That's not funny, you know. Besides, you gotta admit, you owe me one."

"Really?"

"For keeping up with your ship for you."

"Oh? I thought of it more as my favor to you. Can't trust her with just anyone; and then again, anyone would be lucky to have her. Even if it is for only a few weeks."

"Oh, hilarious. Open the hatch. We're joining up."

"Who said you could just…?"

Right about then, the Strahl's sensors gave a slight whistle just as a tiny tremor ran about her interior. Balthier rolled his eyes and gave Fran that slight grimace that seemed to be his trademark. "Better let the lad in, eh? Just gave the old girl a fresh coat of paint."

--- ---

Nadia pulled her son away gently from Basch before kneeling a bit, holding him on her settled knee. "Surprise," she whispered.

He took off his helmet again, gazing in awe at the boy. "Noah's…?"

She gave an attempt at a smile. "Certainly not yours, anyway." There was a long uncomfortable silence. The little boy reached out and touched Basch's left eye, trailing his tiny, slightly damp fingers along to his ear where the cut settled. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to figure out where his father had gotten injured. "I just couldn't tell him, Basch. He hasn't the heart for it. I barely did when Lord Larsa announced it. Besides, he sees you walking about the corridors every day of his life. Wouldn't it be hard to explain his father is gone when he sees him constantly?"

Basch was still intrigued, reaching out to touch the boy's shoulder and face. So much like Noah when they were young….so much like himself. Finally, he found his voice. "His name?"

"Leith."

"My father's name." He nodded. An honorable name.

The boy cocked his head to the side, once again chewing on his forefinger. "Why you got cut, daddy?"

His eyes turned up to Nadia's, and she smiled. "Daddy's been in the war a long time, Leith. When he fought evil Emperor Vayne, he got hurt. And what did I teach you about fighting?"

His eyes never left Basch's. "Bad."

Her head bowed, her eyes tearing up. "Yes. It hurts many people." She shook her head for a moment, and then forced another smile. "Daddy knows that now." She looked deliberately at Basch. "Don't you?"

His face registered complete surprise and shock. Must I take on this role as well? He asked to himself, as if Noah's essence was standing just behind him. His lips parted, then closed, then parted again. "Y…yes." He took the boy's hand. "Yes. Listen to your mother."

"You're not here. Mommy cries sometimes."

The voice was plaintive, almost accusing. Indeed, the boy's eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at him, gnawing on his forefinger. He frowned. It was ridiculous, but he almost felt as if he had not attended to his duties as a husband and father. "I've…uh…"

"He's been busy, Leith. But you'll see him much more now." Her eyes met Basch's. "Much, much more…" Her eyebrow arched up, and her jaw set hard. It wasn't a command. It was a hint. She was telling him something. Slowly, he stood, and she stood with him. For a moment she just pierced his soul with that determined, icy gaze. "Now then, Leith," she turned to her son, taking his hand. "We must find your nurse. I'll see you after school. Say goodbye to daddy."

The boy reached up, wanting a hug. He did as he was under compulsion to do, hugging the young lad gently. When he went to set him down the boy gave him a wet, sloppy kiss on the cheek quickly. "Love you!" Basch blinked for a moment; He thought of Noah and how much he had left behind—how much he had sacrificed to redeem himself. And yet Noah's brother right now would have gladly taken his place. He watched her walk the boy to the door, and kneel to kiss him goodbye. It was only an illusion, but he could almost fancy seeing Noah standing just beside Nadia, smiling down on his firstborn.

When Nadia was finished and the doors closed behind her, she walked past him with purposeful strides, suddenly all business. "Well, then. Sorry to set that on you all at once, but I wasn't exactly planning on him dropping by. Then again, it may show you why I am going to do what I strategize."

"Pardon?"

"I know why you're here. At the last progress meeting I didn't exactly win gold metals when I couldn't give them my plan to desecrate the Manufacted Nethicite. Lord Larsa undoubtedly wonders what I'm up to and fancies whether I'm working on it at all." As she talked, she typed hurriedly on her computer, pulling up various screens that she ran through like a pro. Basch walked slowly towards her, getting a glimpse at some of the screens: 'Ability to harness Magicks', 'Coupling of Magicks with Nethicite', 'Plan A', 'Test Subject A'. "Well I can't lie to you, my friend. I don't fathom destroying it."

He shook his head. "Nadia, the nethicite can lead to nothing but trouble…"

"Tell me, Basch. Did you try to use anything to tend to his wounds?"

He halted for a moment, completely unaware at what she was getting at. And then it suddenly hit him that she was referring to Gabranth. So she blamed him too? "You know I must have fought to save my brother."

She nodded, a slow smile spreading across her delighted features. "Did you try it with Nethicite?"

"That's impossible."

"Hardly." She typed in a password to the screen she was on, and it blipped to life: 'Test subject M.' She walked past him again in a slight whirl, and he hurried to run down the slight walk to keep up with her. "I suppose if Lord Larsa wants to know what to do with the Nethicite, it's only best to show it to him." She stopped just in front of a short metallic cylinder, with a keypad directly in front of it. After hitting one key, the doors to the base slid open to reveal a dead turtle.

His breath caught. "What are you doing, Nadia?"

"This tortoise has been dead for four months now." The cylinder directly beside it opened up as she put on a leather glove quickly. Out of the realms of the cylinder she produced a broken piece of Nethicite. "Think, Basch. If it could do what Vayne would have had it do, can it not help this poor creature?" With a smile, she placed the nethicite in her bare hand. While he watched in fascination, she summoned a "Rise" spell. It sent a curl of magick up her arm for a moment before it found its registered mark—the unfortunate reptile in the glass container. All business, she set aside the small piece of rock and placed her bare hand in the cylinder with it. As they both watched on, the creature stirred and slowly got to it's legs.

"No…" He whispered in disbelief, totally taken aback by the nethicite's power.

She picked it up, cooing at it, before handing it to Basch. "Leith's whole future, mine, all of Ivalice's, could rest on this one piece of rock." She held it up before him, satisfied by his awe-struck features. "You have your answer, 'Gabranth'. You know what I intend to do."

He struggled to find his voice. "He is buried on Bur-Omasace, in the mount…"

She turned from him again, walking hurriedly down a further stretch of the vast room to one of four capsules that were very much larger than the last two he had seen. He stood beside her, the turtle still in his quivering hand. "He was taken from me in death. I couldn't bear to leave him somewhere so far away. War heroes' remains are always sent to be buried with their living kin. Even in death, he belongs here, with his family." She typed in a string of passwords into the multiple blocks. The capsule gave a loud sustained hiss when the door slowly opened. "With me." Inside lied the perfectly preserved carcass of his long-dead twin.

The turtle hit the tile with a loud crack so loud it was heard outside the doors, where a guard turned a bit to the interior and then looked off again into the distance.

The battle was getting ever closer. Basch gestured to his brother, who stood on the opposite side of the front lines. Hurriedly, Noah Fon Rosenburg came to his brother. He was all business, dressed for war and coated in sweat from the fires. "We have the paling in place," he said quickly. "If they stick to their standard flight-heavy attacks, we should be able to hold our own here on the ground."

"Very good. Is everyone who cannot fight secure?"

Noah's eyes flickered past him even as he nodded. Then his gaze turned sour as he saw Nadia, still loading water and supplies for the men behind the big guns. "All but one."

He turned to his gaze. "Not to worry. I will see to it."

"No, brother," He gave him a mischievous smile. "You were intent to stand our ground. If you're going to have the glory, at least let me have my reward."

"Nadia is not…!"

"At ease, brother!" He replied, slapping him on his arm. "This is my specialty!"

Basch frowned as he made his way to Nadia. Disparaging thoughts crossed his mind as he saw the events unfold: Noah taking her arm to lead her away, she arguing with him and eventually giving in, and him leading her away, an arm about her waist. He shook his head in disbelief until he heard the loud Archadian trumpet in the distance. His face turned to the Northwest, watching the sky. He stood that way a long time. The faint breeze died on his skin. The men about him moved a pace more quickly, getting psyched for the battle ahead. Right about then, Noah moved to his side. "Airships, brother. Where are their battle ships?"

That's when the first of the infantry broke through the forest and straight through the paling.